Mobilizing community action for wetland conservation: The influence of Soun Aoundh Pukk radio programme

Abstract

Environmental education and awareness are increasingly crucial for achieving sustainable development, especially as global challenges like deforestation, pollution, and climate change intensify. Media, in its diverse forms, is a critical tool for disseminating environmental information and mobilizing public action. This article evaluates the role of media in fostering environmental awareness, with a focus on the All India Radio programme “Soun Aoundh Pukk (Our Surroundings)”. By exploring qualitative data from print and electronic media, this study highlights how “Soun Aoundh Pukk” effectively raises awareness about the Nowgam Wetland. The programme's educational content, interviews with stakeholders, community engagement initiatives, awareness campaigns, myth debunking, and highlighting of government and NGO efforts have significantly increased public awareness and community participation in conservation activities. The article concludes that media, particularly “Soun Aoundh Pukk,” plays an essential role in environmental education, advocating for continued support and expansion of such initiatives for sustainable ecosystem preservation.